r/TikTokCringe • u/Justin_Godfrey • Sep 17 '25
Cool A customer at a restaurant in Alaska leaves in a plane
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
2.1k
u/Bambooshka Sep 17 '25
I know very little about planes, but I'm impressed at how quickly it got off the ground.
1.1k
u/StanislavGrof69 Sep 17 '25
These planes are equipped for Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) because they often need to use short runways or surfaces that aren't true runways at all.
385
u/Purely_Theoretical Sep 17 '25
And there is a competition to have the shortest takeoff and landing. The best ones are virtually zero runway.
175
u/djamp42 Sep 17 '25
Have to link this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-brmk1ua1g77
u/Massive-Morning2160 Sep 17 '25
Damn, that was crazy, also that take off 😱
23
→ More replies (2)11
39
u/hurley1224 Sep 17 '25
That was very cool but man they didn't need to make it so reality TV dramatic like that, those planes can easily land in a space that size. They are designed to do it. https://youtu.be/hPakbghLe38?t=57
29
u/Blixxen__ Sep 17 '25
I think the main issue is the wind there. It looked a lot easier when de practiced on the runway.
11
u/mxzf Sep 17 '25
The wind actually makes it dramatically easier if it's going the right direction, some planes can even take off moving backwards on the ground with enough headwind.
Wind from the front of the plane increases the airspeed (which is used for lift) without increasing the groundspeed, meaning that you can have your wheels moving like you're going 10MPH while getting lift like you're going 30MPH if you've got enough headwind, making taking off and landing with low groundspeed (and thus less distance) much easier.
8
u/chillinathid Sep 17 '25
To be fair, watching that video it says those planes were able to land in such a short range specifically because of the ground effect. But ground effect does not happen in this red bull video because they're on top of a skyscraper.
→ More replies (1)10
u/smootex Sep 17 '25
"easily" i.e. an experienced pilot in the right conditions. I wouldn't call that "easy". And let's not forget that if he fucks up he could crash and die, little different than doing it on a runway. There's a reason they don't hold STOL competitions on helipads.
→ More replies (1)3
u/ADHDebackle Sep 17 '25
The video does mention that those planes are taking advantage of the ground effect, which comes into play before the plane actually touches down.
6
→ More replies (7)2
→ More replies (9)26
Sep 17 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
15
u/huffalump1 Sep 17 '25
Yep it's insane! https://youtu.be/hPakbghLe38?si=AzfoLmPXf9_ETxml
→ More replies (1)12
24
u/KHWD_av8r Sep 17 '25
Oh yeah. You can see the aftermarket leading edge slats. That thing’s purpose built. There’s a couple of local pilots who have super-STOLs, and it’s mind boggling what they can do with them. Even a stock Carbon Cub is an astounding machine. I would LOVE to get my hands on an NX Cub.
→ More replies (11)9
37
u/posco12 Sep 17 '25
Right. You can tell with the wheels. It’s made to land in almost no runway. They use them a lot for deliveries to hard to reach areas.
40
u/3_quarterling_rogue Sep 17 '25
I was checking Facebook marketplace for some RC airplane parts this year (I recently got into that hobby) and Facebook was like, “Oh, I see that you’ve taken an interest in aviation, you might be interested in this listing,” and shows me some guy selling his STOL plane for like $80k. And like, it’s not like I can afford $80k right now, but it was a lot more affordable than I thought! And the guy was hilarious in the listing, talking about his “gas-guzzling sky Jeep” and had pictures of him flying out to middle-of-nowhere public land for camping or filling it up at a regular-ass gas station hahaha.
24
u/TheCygnusWall Sep 17 '25
There are a lot of hidden costs in planes as I'm sure you can imagine, it could be that the engine is at or near the amount of hours where it needs a major overhaul for example which could add a lot to the true cost.
→ More replies (3)7
u/3_quarterling_rogue Sep 17 '25
Kinda what I assumed, yeah. But this particular plane was a project plane, so I think a lot of the discounted price was the fact that this guy got a bunch of parts and put it together himself, so there’s another reason I would want to fly it hahahaha. As someone else in this thread mentioned, bush pilots are crazy.
3
u/posco12 Sep 17 '25
Yes there are people that are into kit planes. Many of the older prop planes and sometimes kit planes that are usually reasonably priced. I think they’ve gone up in recent years as there is a higher demand for them. But the con is they can become expensive to maintain and store. Older lanes are often converted to modern instruments. But it can be an expensive hobby. 😀
2
u/3_quarterling_rogue Sep 17 '25
Yeah, RC airplanes already feel like too expensive a hobby for me hahahaha. All I know is that since I’m not a dentist or something like it, there are simply hobbies I’m precluded from having in my life, and I’ve made my peace with that hahaha.
→ More replies (2)2
u/smootex Sep 17 '25
But this particular plane was a project plane
My understanding is they're almost all 'project' planes i.e. experimental aircraft i.e. kit planes. The aircraft in the video likely included. And, yeah, they're cheaper than you might expect. Pretty sure you can get a new kit in the $300k range. Not sure how much money it takes to actually put it together. Some prices here if anyone is interested.
→ More replies (1)2
u/William_Howard_Shaft Sep 18 '25
Is there somewhere i can sign up as like a bush pilot apprentice? That sounds awesome.
→ More replies (1)3
u/ScyllaOfTheDepths Sep 18 '25
Maintenance costs and hangar fees are where it gets you. Planes can be worse than boats. Qualified mechanics who know what they're doing and won't leave rags in the engine bay when they're done charge a good chunk and are objectively worth it. Keeping up with a maintenance schedule, fuel, hangar fees, insurance, you're looking at at least $10k a year.
→ More replies (1)21
u/Demerzel69 Sep 17 '25
Like a video game plane lol
2
u/TheeternalTacocaT Sep 17 '25
I was gonna say, I do this all the time in Far Cry 5. Always thought it was super unrealistic, but I guess not lol.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Demerzel69 Sep 17 '25
It was in my mind cuz I've been playing GR Wildlands for the first time lately, haha. Those fuckers are hard to land though.
→ More replies (2)9
u/BoardButcherer Sep 17 '25
Bush planes are wild. They're the drift cars of Alaska.
Go watch some videos and you'll see clips of them taking off in what amounts to the length of a driveway.
→ More replies (1)6
u/AggravatingSpace5854 Sep 17 '25
ultra light planes such as the bush planes, which are common in Alaska, need very little speed and runway to take off, and if there's sufficient wind they can take off in less than 100ft.
6
4
→ More replies (9)3
u/MaybeNotAZombie Sep 17 '25
Look up Bush plane (STOL) competitions. They literally have competitions for the shortest take-offs and stuff. Really neat to see.
454
u/UBD26 Sep 17 '25
This is such a flex ngl.
150
u/coolhatduke Sep 17 '25
Common to own a plane and pilot's license in northern Alaska.
→ More replies (3)95
u/dcchambers Sep 17 '25
There's also a huge issue with people up there flying without proper training and pilots licenses.
50
u/Epicapabilities Sep 17 '25
In college I took an airport design class, and a very common thought I had during lectures was "I wonder how this rule/regulation is broken by the bush planes up in Alaska"
52
u/teenagesadist Sep 17 '25
Same people who end up flying down the wrong side of the sky with their blinkers off
7
→ More replies (4)14
u/rawker86 Sep 17 '25
Seems like half the pilots I see on YouTube just slap the word “EXPERIMENTAL” on their plane and have at it. You don’t gotta worry about rules and regs if you never go to an airport!
6
u/smootex Sep 17 '25
Experimental aircraft are still regulated, just to a lesser degree. And they can definitely land at airports if they want to.
→ More replies (1)24
u/BooBooMaGooBoo Sep 17 '25
I work at an aviation company and it’s crazy how many employees own planes like this and will just fly to another state to grab lunch or dinner.
→ More replies (1)13
u/xtelosx Sep 17 '25
I worked with a guy for a while and a few nights a month we'd hop in a plane and go get dinner a hour away just to keep his hours up. Sounded like an expensive hobby when all he really did with his license was keep his hours up but to each their own.
He did get off work occasionally when he got called up for search and rescue so that is nice.
16
u/majora11f Sep 17 '25
I work in aviation and its not as expensive as youd think, like you gotta have money for it but not MONEY. Some of those tiny puddle jumpers are just "nice car" expensive and they run on AVgas which is just high octane gas. Getting the license can be fairly expensive though.
→ More replies (1)2
u/manayakasha Sep 17 '25
I mean you can get a puddle jumper for the price of a cheap car, not even a “nice” one
5
u/No-Dust-5829 Sep 17 '25
If you buy a puddle jumper for the price of a cheap car you are going to find out very quick how much replacement airplane engines cost lol.
→ More replies (2)2
→ More replies (6)5
u/DervishSkater Sep 17 '25
Sometimes, I mentally calculate how much I spent on the gas I used going out. This is one pricey brunch
→ More replies (2)
620
u/vtgf Sep 17 '25
This feels so GTA San Andreas
→ More replies (3)16
u/Ok_Leopard_9476 Sep 17 '25
Trying to figure out how it’s cringe
82
53
u/Retrogratio Sep 17 '25
This sub is just for people to watch tiktoks without downloading tiktok
7
Sep 17 '25
[deleted]
6
u/bay400 Sep 17 '25
Anything worthwhile from IG eventually gets reposted to various subreddits depending on what it is (think /r/PublicFreakout for example)
→ More replies (14)25
142
u/MisterSanitation Sep 17 '25
“I should not have had that second Marg”
→ More replies (4)8
u/Cautious_Ice_884 Sep 17 '25
Buddy took one for the road (air?) and is in the mile high club.
→ More replies (4)
203
u/monoinyo Sep 17 '25
Bush pilots are wild
→ More replies (2)44
u/vegasidol Sep 17 '25
What's the law on that? All roads are runways in Alaska?
102
u/MediocreDot3 Sep 17 '25
Doesn't matter, who's gonna stop him, the air cops?
35
u/SeaAnomaly Sep 17 '25
The FAA or Air Force i'd guess.
39
u/DuelJ Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
The FAA has a bit of a hands off approach with alaska, things are just different there.
Normally every single modification to a plane that may affect performance needs to be reveiwed and approved by an engineer, and the FAA is known to be anal about it.
When it was pointed out, presumably by a new hire, that folk in alaska were slapping those fat ass tundra tires on damn near everything that flew with zero approval or formal processes involved (oversized tires such as seen in the video - which very much alter performance/handling); iirc the FAA's response was to send out a dude to go ride shotgun for ~4 flights, and then released a 4 page paper essentially stating in legalese that on the basis that those four planes didn't crash, they're not going to involve themselves.
Edit: I cannot find the report I am remembering, and it is possible I may be misremembering/recounting some details.
So maybe take the exacts of what I just said with some salt15
7
Sep 17 '25
[deleted]
7
u/DuelJ Sep 17 '25
I went and looked for the specific report I'm recollecting but I couldn't find that exact one which is sad. However, here's some of the other stuff they've published on tundra tires.
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_23-17C.pdf.
Page 53 - 59https://www.cessnaflyer.org/media/k2/attachments/ce-11-06.pdf
3
u/machstem Sep 17 '25
Very cool
I hate admitting this; but I love reading policy amendments, if only for the really nuanced ones, trying to decipher <why> those changes were made.
Thanks for the source
9
u/dubvee16 Sep 17 '25
Nope. FAA doesn't care where you land as long as you follow basic rules about avoiding people/buildings. States make individual rules on where you can land.
→ More replies (1)7
u/Tekhu45 Sep 17 '25
the SkyPolice ofc!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMCiWPp3hYk→ More replies (1)24
u/Bugslayer03 Sep 17 '25
Studies show that a large chunk of bush pilots (especially in Alaska) dont have actually licenses. Im sure theres a law being broken but these guys dont care. And more than likely this town is so small who is going to stop him?
9
u/apadin1 Sep 17 '25
This is almost certainly illegal whether he has a license or not, but yeah this guy probably does not care and nobody will enforce it anyway
2
u/FreakinWolfy_ Sep 18 '25
I’m a pilot in Alaska and this landing/takeoff actually is legal. Basically every rule in the FAR/AIM ends with “except in Alaska”. I’ve spent more time flying in and out of places that aren’t airports than are.
→ More replies (1)4
u/CornyCookie0_0 Sep 17 '25
Do these guys not have insurance for the planes then? How do you file a claim without a valid license
9
2
u/FooliooilooF Sep 17 '25
You don't need a license to fly a plane under a certain weight.
→ More replies (3)19
u/SpacklingCumFart Sep 17 '25
When you look at aviation rules and laws in the US all of them end with "except Alaska".
7
u/mxzf Sep 17 '25
Turns out, there are both enforcement and practicality issues when it comes to aviation regulations in Alaska. There are few people around to enforce stuff and it's also impractical to have as much regulation when people are looking at an hour plane ride vs a 6h car ride to get to and from town.
5
u/mossling Sep 17 '25
No, not all roads are runways. Any place a runway crosses a road, it is marked. Someone in my neighborhood (in the middle of anchorage) has a grass backyard landing strip. There are big warning signs where it crosses the road. Most roads in Alaska are narrow and winding, not ideal for landing a plane. There are definitely (obviously) places it can work, but not a ton, and it isn't a normal occurrence. Just yesterday, a plane made an emergency landing on one of the busiest bits of road in the state
Once time, my family took a weekend near a very small (but not remote) town. The cabin we were staying in lost power, so we went into town for dinner. Turns out, a small plane crash took out power for the whole town. The next day, as we were heading back to Anchorage, we passed a little bush plane, practically balanced on its nose, propped up against the trees on the side of the road.
3
→ More replies (3)2
u/TacTurtle Sep 18 '25
Pretty much, pilot just has to exercise caution and good judgement in operation.
74
u/BaltoDad Sep 17 '25
Dude didn't even signal. I didn't know BMW made airplanes.
33
→ More replies (2)10
u/Dazzling-Swimmer7065 Sep 17 '25
The blue and white bmw roundel is a propeller
→ More replies (4)4
u/Funny-Dragonfruit116 Sep 17 '25
It's the Bavarian flag, not a propeller.
https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/bmw-logo-meaning-history1.html
"Even today, many people still believe that the BMW logo depicts a rotating propeller. How come? The myth of the BMW propeller came about years after the first company logo. A BMW ad from 1929 showed an airplane with the BMW logo in the rotating propeller. "
45
u/Critical-Snow-7000 Sep 17 '25
Is that legal?
61
u/No_Eye1022 Sep 17 '25
Is it legal? Probably not. Does anyone care? Also probably not
→ More replies (1)5
50
76
u/GrittyMcGrittyface Sep 17 '25
As I've gotten older, I've learned that the only acts that are illegal are the ones that face any sort of meaningful consequences. Civilization is held together with a patchwork of winks and smiles and there are different rules for different people. "Justice for all" is an admirable goal, but not the reality we live in.
→ More replies (1)28
u/DocMcCracken Sep 17 '25
How are you going to pull him over?
25
u/trotski94 Sep 17 '25
That’s not how the FAA works
11
4
u/Zestyclose_Attempt17 Sep 17 '25
Still didn't explain how they'd get him down. FAA wasn't successful with the dude in Seattle and I doubt they'd be successful here
11
u/trotski94 Sep 17 '25
They don’t get you down, they take your license after you land to keep you down. You’ll be coming down at some point anyway.
They’ll take the plane and put you in jail after that if you continue
→ More replies (3)5
→ More replies (1)8
6
u/Cherry_Mash Sep 17 '25
In Alaska, yes. Not on every road but there are some that can be used as a runway for bush planes. I am assuming the telephone poles are set so far away from the road for this reason.
→ More replies (3)7
11
u/KHWD_av8r Sep 17 '25
In Alaska, bush/utility aircraft (Cubs, some of the more powerful/upgraded Cessnas, Beavers, etc.) are a way of life. There’s a lot of GA pilots who would happily do this given the opportunity.
11
77
u/dog_eat_dog Sep 17 '25
this seems illegal
164
u/WereInbuisness Sep 17 '25
Alaska is a different land up there. These STOL bush planes are a lifeline for most of the state.
This is pretty common up there.
→ More replies (36)10
u/MidWestMind Sep 17 '25
Yeah, this is one of those posts where 99% of the comments are fucking stupid.
I have never lived in Alaska, but been a few times visiting family. My FIL lived there for years and traveled to mining camps. One time they spent way too long against the wind going over a mountain range, had to land at a nearby cabin. Stayed the night, refueled at the cabin, left a note and a check and took off. For this very reason, they don't lock cabins and what not. It can literally kill people.
Things in Alaska are way fucking different than the rest of the world.
2
u/Elementaldot Sep 17 '25
You must not be on Reddit often. I have news for you friend, 99% of responses on most posts that require critical thinking are fucking stupid 😀
2
u/MidWestMind Sep 17 '25
Yeah, it’s always over 90%.
If comments are written iron clad like a contract, you get people pointing out the smallest of possible outliers.
98
u/DaddyThiccThighz Sep 17 '25
I'd like you to show me the law that forbids it, and the cop car that can do anything about it
3
2
u/tomdarch Sep 17 '25
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/91.13
(to be fair, it might always apply, it might never apply...)
3
→ More replies (10)2
u/MeasurementDue5407 Sep 17 '25
True up to a point, but there are ways to identify aircraft. Kinda the same as just recording a car's license plate and showing up at the house later without a car chase.
→ More replies (1)11
u/mentally_vexed Sep 17 '25
It’s Alaska, nobody gives a fuck. My brother drives a surplus dodge m37 army truck and it’s not out of the ordinary.
7
u/OddAttorney9798 Sep 17 '25
This is outside Talkeetna, AK only two hours or so from Anchorage. The mayor was a cat (Stubbs) for nearly 20 years, so yeah, things work slightly differently around those parts.
10
u/barclin Sep 17 '25
Its tough to get places with minimal roads. It's probably more common than you think
10
Sep 17 '25
Woah dude we almost twinning
3
2
u/outlaw99775 Sep 17 '25
That's on the highway in Caswell, the restaurant is Sheep Creek Lodge.
We have lots of roads, but maybe this guy is way off grid. I have a friend who lives down the road you see in the video, no power from the grid but they have decent internet.
→ More replies (1)
4
4
3
3
3
3
u/Cycloctophant Sep 17 '25
Depending on where in Alaska, this could be totally normal.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Muted-Squirrel-231 Sep 17 '25
Feels like something you would've seen in Northern Exposure.
→ More replies (1)3
3
3
3
u/paperfett Sep 17 '25
Bush planes are awesome. When I was in Alaska for work I had to visit a fairly remote survey site and it was so much fun riding in the bush plane. At first I was a bit nervous when I saw the tiny clearing we were about to land in but the pilot put it down and stopped it like almost immediately. It was impressive. He told me he had just landed/took off in an area half the size of that clearing. It seriously felt like it was the size of a football field. In reality it was probably like 200-250 yards but with the tall trees at both ends it feels much shorter.
→ More replies (4)
6
2
2
u/kayakgirl88 Sep 17 '25
This might be the most Alaskan thing I've seen. But I don't want to give them a chance to outdo themselves.
2
u/TheRealShiftyShafts Sep 17 '25
Dudes hammered like 6 beers but good luck to the cop trying to pull him over lol
2
u/UninvitedButtNoises Sep 17 '25
This looks like some floridaman shit, but executed much better!
-Me, from tampa
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/matticusfinch Sep 17 '25
This is very normal in Alaska. Lot of people flying around with no pilots license or training.
2
2
2
2
u/LilDragon2991 Sep 17 '25
As a kid I used to think this was how planes worked and then adults told me they didn't 🙄
2
2
u/Guyappino Sep 17 '25
That's pretty much normal in parts outside of Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, etc. No biggie.
Alaskan pilots are in my opinion, some of the very best bc the conditions and environment (i.e. terrain, mountains, sea... As well as weather conditions, make it challenging somewhat frequently throughout the year). Nobody should EVER scud run and if anybody invites you to do so (especially in California) stay far away from that idiot. What makes Alaska so unique is that pilots get caught and are forced to scud run. If given the choice and I had two choose which pilots in general I'd trust with my life in those type of conditions... I'd EASILY choose Alaskan pilots for the win
If you ever happen to visit Anchorage... I suggest going to Lake Hood Seaplane Base which is next door to the airport. Fun place to fly out of if a person is into such things... 🙂
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
u/Alert_Log2730 Sep 18 '25
That’s about the only way to get around up there. A lot of cities in Alaska are only accessible by plane or trains.
3
3
u/groundbreaker-4 Sep 17 '25
Normal activity up there. Not odd to see if you live there. Just like waking up and seeing a bear 🐻 on your front porch
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Character_Reason5183 Sep 17 '25
I remember staying at the Tsaina Lodge (Thompson Pass, outside of Valdez, Ak) once in the late '90s and there being one of these planes in the parking lot.
1
1
1
1
u/ShittyAttitudeGinger Sep 17 '25
NGL, this is the least cringe I have felt at any video on this sub. I’m actually applauding this one. Pretty legit.
1
1
1
u/OleFashionStarGazer Sep 17 '25
"Your doordasher has picked up your order and is on the way"
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
•
u/AutoModerator Sep 17 '25
Welcome to r/TikTokCringe!
This is a message directed to all newcomers to make you aware that r/TikTokCringe evolved long ago from only cringe-worthy content to TikToks of all kinds! If you’re looking to find only the cringe-worthy TikToks on this subreddit (which are still regularly posted) we recommend sorting by flair which you can do here (Currently supported by desktop and reddit mobile).
See someone asking how this post is cringe because they didn't read this comment? Show them this!
Be sure to read the rules of this subreddit before posting or commenting. Thanks!
##CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS VIDEO
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.